Confessions Of A Shopaholic vs. The Taming Of The Shrew
Honesty and deception in relationship
Comparing "Confessions of a Shopaholic" and "The taming of The Shrew"
In Shakespeare's written play, “The Taming of The Shrew”, I examined it a bit more and found that it very relative to one’s life today. The Mighty Petruchio was so out to get Katherine, which was perfect because everyone else wanted Bianca. Everyone had dressed up, pretending to be someone else, or rather, pretending to love someone just for the fortune in the play. Just like in the 2009 movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic”, the main character seeks after all the clothes & shoes she can get her hands on, and pretends to be someone she is not. In both movies, It is evident that in one’s relationship, it can be more deception than expected, and can affect two people’s view on one another, so honesty is communication is key.
Each movie and situation is different, but can be connected in many ways. Lucentio and Hortensio dress up to be someone they are not, just so they can win the heart of Bianca. They work to be as close to her as possible, Lucentio dressing up as her Latin Teacher, Hortensio as the Music teacher, and Tranio as Lucentio. They are all suitors of Bianca, and each of them are determined to woo Bianca. In the movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic”, Rebecca Bloomwood is actually a Shopaholic that is drowning in debt. When her closet is filled with all the Gucci bags, Prada shoes, and Chanel coats you can dream of, her mind is crammed with all the overdue bills she is supposed to be paying off. When she goes shopping for a new dress for an interview to get a job at Elitte (a really high-class fancy shmancy Fashion Magazine she has been wanting to work for ever since she was 14), she ends up being denied, and gets another interview at a finance company. This is extremely ironic for her because she isn’t very good with managing money, however, she ace’s the interview and gets a job as a Journalist for a column in the Finance Magazine. Her friend Suze makes a point of how she needs to take her own advice that she metaphorically compares and contrast to fashion in the column, so that she can become debt-free. Rebecca also tells Suze her plan of winning another job at the Elitte magazine industry, since the Financial company she works for now is somewhat owned by Elitte, and she is willing to do anything to work there.
QUOTE:
One rich enough to be Petruchio’s wife—
As wealth is burden of my wooing dance—
Be she as foul as was Florentius’ love,
As old as Sibyl, and as curst and shrewd
As Socrates’ Xanthippe or a worse,
She moves me not—or not removes at least
Affection’s edge in me, were she as rough
As are the swelling Adriatic seas.
I come to wive it wealthily in Padua;
If wealthily, then happily in Padua.
(65-73)
Here Petruchio describes his ideal wife-a rich woman, who is able to provide a large dowry for himself in the near future. He does not care how rude, stubborn, or upright blunt she is, he is just in it for the riches. He also mentions no matter how wild she is, he is more than able to tame her through the “loving kindness he is determined to woo her with”.
Miss Rebecca felt the same way-just a different message, along with a different approach.
In this scene, Rebecca rushed to the hotdog stand to get cash back, in order to pay for a “magical green scarf” for her interview, that she was unable to pay for with her expired cards. She hurries to the front of the line, cutting in front of everyone, and even pushes her future boss (the guy right next to her in the suit) to get what she needed. This green scarf that she is rushing to get is actually another statement piece a manikin figuratively convinced her to get for this interview, so that she would be later known as “The Girl in the Green Scarf”. Getting this scarf would guarantee her spot in the Elitte magazine industry. Like Petruchio, Rebecca is willing to do anything to get this position or this wonderful opportunity, and go through great extent to get it. She will even lie to herself and the hotdog man that this scarf she needs, is for her great aunt who is very ill.
QUOTE:
My mind hath been as big as one of yours,
My heart as great, my reason haply more,
To bandy word for word and frown for frown;
But now I see our lances are but straws,
Our strength as weak, our weakness past compare,
That seeming to be most which we indeed least are.
Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,
And place your hands below your husband’s foot,
In token of which duty, if he please,
My hand is ready, may it do him ease.
(V.ii.140–183)
In this scene, Petruchio tells Lucentio to watch as Katherine comes with obedience to him when he calls for her. When she comes, Petruchio already predicted that she will drag Bianca along with her, degrading her behavior towards her husband by not obeying his orders of coming to him. Her persuasive words that she speaks to all of the wives and everyone else in the audience was touching to Petruchio. She explained as to why obeying your husband not only shows respect towards him, because there is “Too little payment for so great a debt.” that is to be payed to the husband. She shows that she has been somewhat “tamed” by the great Petruchio, and she no longer is the defiant, obstinate, Katherine everyone was very familiar with in the beginning of the play.
In this part of the movie, Rebecca is walking down the street, past all the beautiful windows of New York with the most beautiful clothing, that she realizes that she doesn’t need. Once again, she was almost tempted by another Manikin that those red sparkly heels were going to go with that green dress she has been dying to wear. But after selling all large amount of her clothes,hats, shoes, bags, and jewelry, to pay for all of her overdue bills, she realizes she doesn’t want to ever feel that way again, and she wants to have control. When Luke stated “What about Honesty? What about credibility?” , she realized something was to happen so she can make everything right again. She persuaded herself at that window that those shiny things aren’t necessary for life, and she go on without them. She broke her old habit of buying, and became a new person. She “tamed” her passion of spending money she doesn’t have. As she walks down the street, the Manikins applaud her for making the right decision, and she later walks into the love of her life, Luke. Comparing both movies, we see that each person had to make a major change to make the relationship work, and have self control. They had to "tame" what was ruining them in the first place. For Katherine, it was hard for people to approach her because of her personality, and defiance, and for Rebecca spending money that wasn't hers recklessly on things she didn't need. Both girls had to "tame" these things so they wouldn't interfere with anything else in their life.
